Counter



O. E. WOLFF Oct. 11, 1938.

COUNTER Filed June 7, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Oct. 11, 1938. o. E. WOLFF COUNTER Filed June 7, 195'? 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY 0. E. WOLFF Oct. 11, 1938.

COUNTER Filed June '7, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 WNW ATTORN EY 0. E. WOLFF Oct. 11, 1938.

COUNTER Filed June 7, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I INVENTOR ATfoRNzY Patented Oct. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUNTER B. S. Bauer Trust Application June 7, 1937, Serial No. 146,799

15Claims.

The present invention relates to counters, and more particularly to counters for sheet material, such as newspapers and periodicals. The invention has particular application to the counting of newspapers, either as they come from the press, or returned newspapers, magazines and the like, but is applicable also to other articles, like paper sheets.

During the delivery of newspapers from the press room to the mailing room, they are counted as they are collected into bundles containing the proper number to be forwarded to the various newsdealers. Such proposals as have heretofore been made for automatic counting of the newspapers have not. however, proved satisfactory, so that they are still counted by human attendants. This is inaccurate and relatively slow.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a new and improved counter.

A further feature resides in the use of a novel, magnetic control for a high-speed counter, involving the use of a contact device to operate the magnetic counter.

Still another object is to provide a couriter in conjunction with a selecting device.

Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical section of a machine embodying the present invention in its preferred form; Fig. 2 is an end view of the selector-and-address mechanism embodied in the machine of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section, taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the selector mechanism, taken upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 5, looking to the left, in the direction 40 of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken upon the line 55 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig, 6 is a corresponding end view, looking from the right of Fig. 5; Fig. 'l is a plan of an address plate; Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken upon the line 8--9.of Fig. 3, but upon a larger scale, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken upon the line 9-9 of Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 10 is a detail view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 9, but upon a larger scale; Fig. 11 is a horizontal section taken upon the line Il--|I of Fig. 3, but upon a larger scale, looking downward in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 12 is a circuit diagram of the selector; and Fig. 13 is a section taken upon the line I3--I3 of Fig. 5,

looking to the right, in the direction of the arrows.

A plurality of newspapers or other sheets 2 are shown in Fig. 1 in lapped relation, upon inclined continuously traveling conveyor belts 3, mounted over pulleys 14. The left-hand ends (as shown 5 in Fig, 1) of the inclined conveyor belts 3 may be disposed adjacent to a newspaper press, a stack of newspapers, another conveyor 62, or any other source of supply of newspapers. The belts 3 receive the newspapers 2 from the source of supply 10 and feed them under a lower projecting finger of an inclinedly disposed shield wall 5, disposed in the path of travel of the papers, just beyond the right-hand ends of the conveyor belts 3, into a hopper 339, between the wall 5 and a similarly 16 inclinedly disposed shield wall II. The shield wall II is also disposed in the path of travel of the papers. Though the machine is shown in connection with newspapers, preferably fed with one of the edges 1 forward, it will be understood 20 that other sheet material, such as magazines and other periodicals, may also be treated in this machine, or parts thereof; and the terms newspaper, paper, sheet and the like will, therefore, to avoid circurnlocution of language, be often employed in the specification and the claims, in this generic sense, except where the context or the state of the art may require otherwise.

If the hopper 339 is empty, the newspapers 2 are conveyed thereinto by the conveyor 3 under 30 the shield wall 5, and on to a conveyor that is disposed at the bottom of the hopper 339, constituted of inclinedly disposed continuously traveling belts 9. The belts 9 are spaced slightly below the shield wall II, but the space or gap or opening between them may be blocked or closed, as hereinafter described. The number of belts 9 may be four, with spaces between them. They pass over idler rolls I08.

As the first newspaper 2 is delivered by the conveyor belts 3 into the hopper 339, it is carried by the belts 9 forward, or toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 1. When the said space or opening between the shield wall II and the belts 9 is blocked or closed, this first newspaper 2 will en; gage the shield wall I I, so that the further progress of this first newspaper 2 will be temporarily blocked. The second newspaper 2 is similarly carried forward, to the right, on top of the first 50 newspaper 2, until its further progress is similarly blocked. The third newspaper 2 is similarly carried forward, to the right, on top of the second newspaper, into similar engagement with the wall I I, and so on.

The conveyor 3 continues thus to feed the papers 2, in superposed relation, into the hopper 339, until the level of the stack of papers thus accumulated therein is high enough to touch the bottom projecting finger of the shield 5, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1. As no more sheets can then be fed past the shield 5, the level of papers on the belt 3 in the hopper 339, and their consequent weight upon the belts 9, will be practically constant.

When the said space between the shield wall H and the belts 9 becomes opened, as will be explained more fully hereinafter, the conveyor belts 9 will feed the lowermost newspapers 2 in the hopper 339 forward, under the shield ll and into the space outside, to the right of the hopper 339, as viewed in Fig. 1. The next-lowest paper will then be similarly fed out of the hopper, and so on. The shield wall H may be made adjustable to regulate the said space between the finger l6 and the belts 9, thereby to control the number of newspapers 2 passing thereunder at any one time.

After the papers have thus been caused to travel out of the hopper 339, they are fed further forward toward a table 9|, on which they become accumulated in the form of a stack 89. During the feeding of the papers out of the hopper 339, and before they reach the table 9|, they are counted. As each newspaper 2 advances from left to right, as viewed in Fig, 1, out of the hopper 339, its forward edge 1 engages, and passes under, a counting finger l3, illustrated more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, above the right-hand portions of the belts 9.

Each raising and lowering of the counting finger 3 will result in registering a count, as will be hereinafter explained, to indicate that another newspaper 2 has been conveyed by the conveyor belts 9 from out of the hopper 339 and stacked on the table 9|.

After leaving the counting finger I3, the papers 2 are fed into the bite between vertically disposed continuously traveling lift belts l1 and 2| of a conveyor, the delivery end of which feeds the newspaper 2, as they are received from the hopper 339, vertically upward. The conveyor belts l1 pass over a lower pulley or roll 51, a discharge pulley or roll 21, and smaller pulleys or rolls 3|, 45 and 41. The conveyor belts 2| pass over the pulley 21, an intermediately disposed pulley 59, and an idler pulley 23. To maintain tension in the belts2l, the idler pulley 23 is free to move in a vertically disposed are at the end of arms llll pivoted to the frame of the machine at I03.

In order to maintain the point of delivery of the papers 2 above the topmost paper of the stack 89, the said delivery end of the conveyor, including the upper portions of the belts l1 and 2|, and the rolls 21 and 3|, is disposed above the belts 9 and the table 9|.

The discharge pulleys or rolls 21 and 3| are carried by arm members 31 that are freely movable vertically. In this vertical movement, they are guided by wheels 4|5, that are carried by the arm members 31, so as to roll on a vertically disposed track, of a supporting column 42|.

Upon reaching the bite between the conveyor belts l1 and 2|, the papers are turned upward, around the large pulley 51, and toward and over the pulley 21. Each paper 2 is then fed from above the table 9|, at the left thereof, as viewed in Fig. 1, at a downward incline, on to the top of the stack 89 accumulated on the table 9| During this downwardly inclined feeding, the papers travel over a downwardly inclined guide- 39, and under downwardly inclined guide arms or members 55, toward and against stops, constituted of integrally bent portions 58 of the guide members 55. The bent portions 58 project downward, so as to be engaged by the forward edges 1 of the newspapers, thus limiting the further travel of the papers. The newspapers thus become successively deposited on the top of the stack 89 on the table 9|, each on top of the previously deposited paper 2, in engagement with the stops 58. The stack 89 rises higher and higher as the newspapers are successively conveyed thereto, until the desired number of newspapers, as determined by the count of the counting finger l3, has been collected in the stack 89. The guide members 55 constitute part of the elevator assembly that moves up with the discharge pulleys or rolls 21 and 3| as the height of the stack 39 increases. a

The guide members 55 are respectively disposed at opposite sides of the center of the stack 89 of the papers, and predetermine the position occupied by the stack 89 on the table 9|. 'I'o equalize the pressure exerted by them on the uppermost sheet of the stack 89, these two guide members 55 may be separated by a yoke 49 that is pivoted at 85 to an arm 4|. The guide members 55 are thus. always maintained in proper position for guiding the papers to the top of the stack 89.

Through the medium of the yoke 49 and the arm 4|, the freely movable rolls 21 and 3| and the arm members 31 by which they are carried, the upper portion of the conveyor 2|, and related parts are automatically raised vertically, in accordance with the height of the stack 89. This is effected by the impact of the papers, passing under the guides 55, in opposition to the force of gravity. The weight of the parts nor-' mally maintains the guide arms 55 yieldingly in engagement with the top of the stack 89 and pressing yieldingly downward thereon. To reduce the upward force which the papers must exert in order to lift the guide members 55 higher and higher as they travel thereunder, a counterweight |44 is connected to the members 31 by cords 422, running over pulleys |3l and I29.

The idler pulley 23 and related parts move up and down with the delivery end of the conveyor l1, 2|. The lowermost positions of the pulleys 21 and 3| and 'the arms HII with the idler pulley 23 are indicated in Fig. 1 by dotted lines.

At such times as the said space under the shield wall I and above the belts 9 is blocked, so as to stop the further feed of the newspapers 2 out of the hopper 339, it is desirable that the continuously traveling belts 9 do not engage the lowermost newspaper 2 in the hopper 339. Provision is, therefore, made for lifting the stack of newspapers in the hopper 339 up, out of contact with the belts 9, in synchronism with the movements of the other parts of the machine. The mechanism for bringing this about will now be described.

A table 2 is constituted of a plurality of bar supports respectively disposed between the belts 9. These bar supports are rigidly secured together, in a common frame-work, to a pivotally mounted rod I25. The table l2 normallyoccu- Pies an ineffective position, below the surface of the plurality of belts of the conveyor 9. In this ineifective p sition, the table |2 does not hereinafter.

interfere with the feeding of the newspapers 2 by the belts 3 out of the hopper 339, through the said space under the shield wall Upon the completion of a cycle of operations, immediately after every feeding of the desired predetermined number of papers 2 out of the hopper 339, the table I2 is raised pivotally asa unit about the rod I25, from its normally Ineffective position, up between the belts 9, into its effective position. This may be brought about in any desired manner, as by a half-revolution of a cam I95. It is this raising of the table I2 that results in blocking the said gap or space under the shield wall thus stopping the further feed of the papers out of the hopper 339 below the shield II. It results also, however, in lifting the newspapers! up of! the belts 9, so that the belts 8 could not further convey the newspapers out of the hopper 339 even if the said space were not blocked. Upon the lowering of the table I2 from its effective position, above the belts 9, to its ineffective position, below these belts, the feeding of the papers 2 out of the hopper 339 by the belts 9 recommences, and the machine goes through another cycle of operations.

The raising of the table I2, upon the completion of each cycle of operations, is automatically effected by the cam I95, in synchronism with the operation of the rest of the machine. It is similarly automatically lowered at the commencement of a new cycle of operations. The circuits for effecting this result will be described The cam I05, which thus controls the feed of the papers below the shield I I, is controlled by an electromagnetic coil 22| that may be operated in the manner described at considerable length in a copending application, Serial No. 104,628, filed October 8, 1936, as a continuation-in-part of application, Serial No. 43,928, filed October '1, 1935, and of which the present application is a continuation-impart. As explained in the said application, Serial No. 104,628, the circuit of the coil 22| is controlled in accordance with a counter-and-selector mechanism, illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, under the control of the counting finger l3. One semirevolution of the shaft I19, at the end of a cycle of operations, results in the cam I raising the table l2 to stop the feed. The next semi-revolution of the shaft I19, at the commencement of a new cycle of operations, results in the lowering of the cam I95, and the consequent lowering of the table |2 by gravity, whereupon the feeding of the papers 2 out of the hopper 339 by the belts recommences.

If the papers are fed forward with a folded end leading, they naturally arrive on the table 9| in the same way. When the correct number of papers, twenty five as an illustration, have been so fed and stacked on the table 9|, the table I2 is raised to stop the feed of additional papers, the guide 55 is likewise raised, and the table and the stack thereon turned a half revolution, in order to alternate the folded. edges, by means of a shaft 95 on which the table 9| is supported. The guides 55 are then dropped, so as to become restored in effective position, the table I2 is lowered and the feed of the papers is resumed, resulting in a reversed position of the newspapers on the stack.

To effect the raising of the guide 55, a lug -|58 on one arm of a bell crank I55 is moved up against the cord 422 upon the downward movement of the connecting rod I59 that is connected to the other arm of the bell crank. The lug I53 is provided with frictional material that binds frictionally against the cord 422 as the lug I58 is moved upward, thus pulling the cord 422 upward and to the left, thereby causing the raising of the guides 55 and the parts attached thereto.

To turn the table 9|, a half revolution is effected, in timed relation to the operations above described, of a shaft 428, on which there is mounted a crank 429 connected with one end of a connecting rod 430. The other end of the connecting rod 439 is provided with a rack 43| that meshes with a gear 432 secured to the shaft 95. The face of the gear 432 is wide enough so that it will still be in mesh with the rack 43| when the table 9| is in its lowermost position, as decribed in the said application Serial No. 104,628. For every half-revolution of the shaft 423, obviously, the shaft 95 will be turned through a half revolution; and when the shaft 428 is returned to its original position, the shaft 95 will likewise be returned to its original position. These half-revolutions will be effected at the end of the feeding of the papers 2 in groups of twenty five or any other desired number.

To remove the stack of sheets, the table 9| is lowered below elongated rolls 523, which are turned from a shaft 425 by belts 426 and pulleys 424. To this end, the table 9| may be constituted of parallelly disposed slats alternating in position with the positions of the rolls 523, so that the slats may be lowered bel-w the rolls 523 in the spaces between these rolls. When the level of the table 9| is thus lowered under that of the tops of the rolls 523, the papers 2, being thus lowered into contact with the moving rolls 523, are moved by them ofi the table 9| and on to a table (not shown) at the side of the machine, either in front of or behind the plane of the papers, as viewed in Fig. 1. The table 9| is lowered by rotation of a cam 99 engaging against a follower 421 at the lower end of the shaft 95.

The wrapping paper is fed intermittently from a roll or reel of wrapping paper 261 that is mounted to turn upon a spindle or rod I20, disposed at the left-hand side of the machine, and a little to the left of the hopper 339, as viewed in Fig. 1. From the roll 251, the wrapping-paper web I22 rises substantially vertically to a guide roll 211, over which it passes to the right, over a platen I26 and under a backing plate 3|3 of the addressing mechanism. As is explained in the said applications, the platen I26 is intermittently moved upward to force the interposed wrapping-paper web I22 against a type-backed ribbon 3|| between the web I22 and an address plate 205. Different address plates 205 will thus produce different addresses and other insignia upon the web I22.

At a suitable moment, the portion of the web I22 thus addressed is fed forward, to the right, between feed rolls 28| and 288, the former of which is larger than the latter, and may be con- 'stituted of rubber, while the latter may be constituted of metal. One revolution of the feed roll 28| about its shaft 32| results in feeding the required length of wrapper from the reel 261. Such revolution of the feed roll "I will be produced after a predetermined degree of rotation of the shaft 386, as will be explained later. The web I22 is fed between a cutter bed 289 and a cutter roll 298; and, over a guide 299 (Fig.3) to the belts 3. At the completion of the revolution of the feed roll 28|, the cutter roll 298 is actuated, in synchronism with the other movements of the machine parts, to make one revolution, thereby severing the addressed wrapper or snipe from the remainder of the web I22.

The papers, passing under the finger I3 (Fig. 3) close contact members 34| to make a circuit which energizes an electromagnet 325 to turn a ratchet wheel 323 one tooth for each paper. The ratchet wheel 323 is fixed to a shaft 2| I, which extends into the frame of the selector I93. The eiectromagnet 325 actuates an armature 329 connected with a spring-controlled intermediately pivoted double pawl 321, for actuating the counter ratchet wheel 323, to count the sheets fed by the conveyor 9 out of the hopper 339. One of the teeth of the pawl is held normally in engagement with a ratchet tooth of the ratchet ,the magnetic field of the wheel 323 by a spring, but is adapted to be rocked, in one direction, out of contact therewith, in opposition to the action of the spring, by coil 325. The other tooth of the pawl will, at the same time, become moved into engagement with another tooth of the ratchet wheel 323, thereby effecting one step of movement of the counter. Upon the opening of the circuit of the coil 325, the spring will rock the pawl 321 in the opposite direction, to cause the said other tooth to disengage the ratchet wheel, and the first-named tooth to reengage the ratchet wheel, thereby efiecting a further step of movement of the ratchet wheel. The pawl thus moves like an ordinary escapement, its two teeth engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel alternately to eifect step-by-step movement of the ratchet wheel.

The shaft 2 rotates a contact arm 2|3 (Figs. 4 to 6) over a circular row of contact members 2|5, so as to engage these contact members 2| 5 successively. The connection of the arm 2| 3 to the shaft 2 is through a disc clutch 235, which is pressed, by a spring 406, against an intermittent gear member 259 (Fig. 13) that is fixed to the contact arm 2|3. The gear member 259 is so arranged with reference to a train of gears 400, 403 and 40| that it moves a contact arm 2" from one contact point 2I9 of a circular row of contact members 2|5 to the next as the arm-2| 3 completes each revolution. The gears 400 and 403 are integrally connected together, the former meshing with the gear member 259 and the latter with the gear MI. The gear MI is mounted upon a shaft 401 that drives the contact arm 2" frictionally in the same manner that the shaft 2 drives the contact arm 2|3 frictionally through the same kind of clutch 235, pressed by a spring 405 against an intermittent gear member 229 to which the contact arm 2" is fixed.

With twenty-five contact members 2| 5, numbered to 24 in Fig. 12, and all of which may be successively closed in the course of one revolution of the arm 2| 3, the movement of the shaft 2| I betweenany two contact members 2|5-the 24th and 25th contact members, for example-will cause the aforesaid movement of the contact arm 2" from one contact member 2|9 to the next contact member 2I9. Thirteen contact members 2|9 are shown in Fig. 12, marked 0, 25, 50, 15, I00, I25, I50, I15, 200, 225, 250, 215 and 300.

The circuits of the contact members 2|5 and 2|9, respectively, are further controlled by previously closed pairs of contact members 206, 201 under the control of lugs 20I on an address plate 205.

As shown arbitrarily, pairs of contact members there are twenty-five 206, numbered 0 to 24 mechanism 22 I,

in Fig. 12, and thirteen pairs of contact members 201, marked 0, 25, 50, 15, I00, I25, I50, I15, 200, 225, 250, 215 and 300 in the same Fig. 12. The maximum count of the unit row 206, therefore, is 24, the 25th and its multiples being counted 011' on the group row 201. Of course, any number may be applied to each row, but in the case of newspapers, 25 is convenient as they are turned in groups of 25 or multiples of 25.

Two rows of contact members 206 and 201 are shown because, for the quantity to be covered, accuracy and convenience could not be obtained by placing 300 contacts in one row. The contact arm 2| 3 constitutes a units counter, cooperating with the contact members 206, and the contact arm 2" constitutes a multiple counter, in multiples of 25, cooperating with the contact members 201. If a greater count were needed, however, it would be possible to extend the number of scales 409 and 4| I.

Each of the contact members 2| 5 is wired to one of the sets of contact members 206 (Fig. 12) and each of the contact members 2| 9 is wired to one of the sets of contact members 201. For example, the first or 0 contact member 2| 5 is connected by a conductor 4I3 with the first or 0 pair of contact members 206; the second or I contact member 2|5 by a conductor 4I5 with the second or I pair of contact members 206; the third or 2 contact member 2|5 by a conductor 4" with the third or 2 pair of contact members 206; and so on; the last or 24 contact member 2|5 being connected by a conductor 4I9 with the last or 24 pair of contact member 206. The first or 0 contact member 2| 1 is similarly connected by a conductor 42| with the first or 0 pair of contact members 201; the second or 25 contact member 2| 3 by a conductor 423 with the second or 25 pair of contact members 201; the third or 50 contact member 2|1 by a conductor 425 with the third or 50 pair of contact members 201; and so on; the last or 300 contact member 2I9 being connected by a conductor 421 with the last or 300 pair of contact members 201.

\There are two lugs 20| on each address plate 205, one on each side (Fig. 7). They are manually adjustable to any of a plurality of positions along scales 409 and 4| at the sides of the address plate for the purpose of closing any desired pair of contact members 206 and any desired pair of contact members 201, thus to count out a desired number of papers, as will presently be explained. The divisions of the lower scale 4 are units of 25, and the divisions of the upper scale 409 correspond to individual counts. These lugs 20| are so arranged on the plate 205 that, when the plate 205 is moved into position under the two rows of contact members 206, 201, one of the lugs 20| will close a pair of contact members 206 and the other-lug 20I a pair of contact members 201. Which two contact members 206 or 201 will be closed by the respective lugs 20I depends on the position of the lugs 20I on the address plate 205, and the lugs 20| are manually actuable selectively to any desired position.

The position of the lugs 20I on the address plate determines, therefore, the place on the rows of contact members 2|5 and 2I9 where the simultaneous contacts of the arms 2|3 and 2| 1 will efiect a closing of the circuit. This circuit, as before stated, is through the electromagnetic which stops the feed of the papers past the shield II, thereby rendering the feeding means 9 ineifective at the end- 101 the feeding of a predetermined number of the sheets 2.

The electric system is normally ineffective to energize the coil 22I, though the lower contact members 206 and 201 are continuously connected into circuit, in series with a source of energy, such as a battery 43I. The circuit extends from the battery 43I, through the coil HI, and the lower contact members 201 marked 0, 25, 50 to the pair of contact members 201 that are closed by one of the lugs 20I; thence, by way of one of the conductors, some of which are indicated at 42I, 423, 425 and 421, to the corresponding contact member 2 I 9; thence through the contact arm 2I1, and by way of a conductor 433, to the contact arm 2I3 and one of the contact members 2 I 5; thence, by way of one of the conductors, some of which are indicated at H3, H5, H1 and 9, to that pair of contact members 206 that are closed by the other lug 20I and that are connected to the said contact members 2I5; and thence through the lower contact members 206 below the said pair of closed. contact members 206, as viewed in Fig. 12, back to the other side of the battery 43I. The closing of this circuit by the said closed pairs of contact members 206 and 201 and the said contact members 2I5 and 2I9 at the end of a predetermined count of the counter, determined by the positions of the lugs 20I, will effect the energization of the coil 22I, thus rendering the circuit effective to actuate the cam I05, as before described, and thus stop the feed of the papers 2 out of the hopper 339 below the shield II. It will be noted that the arms 2I3 and 2I1 can not, in themselves, effect this result; they must cooperate with the pairs of contact members 206 and 201 that have previously been closed by the lugs 20 I, and, at a predetermined point of their rotation, this they do by controlling those contact members 2I5 and 2I1 that are connected into circuit with the said closed contact members 206 and 201. The circuit is under the control of a switch 533.

The selector arms 2I3 and 2I1 must be reset to the starting position as a new plate 205 is moved into place. This is effected by mechanism now to be described.

At the completion of the count, a wrapper or label, with the address thereon, is fed on the stack, or to some other suitable place, from the roll of paper 261, by a single rotation of the feed roll 28I driven by the shaft 32I (Figs. 2 and 3). This shaft 32I, as illustrated more particularly in Fig. 2, drives also, through the medium of a chain 338, the shaft 223 of the selector that shifts the address plates 205. Pinned or otherwise fixed to the shaft 223 are gears 221, cut away at 5, as shown more particularly in Figs. 4 and 5. Two similar but smaller gears 229, on the same shafts 2H and 401 that respectively hold the contact arms 2I3 and 2I1, are also cut away, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

If the arms 2I3 and 2I1 are not in the starting positions, the rotation of the gears 221 will bring them into mesh with the gears 229, and rotate them, against the friction of the clutches 235, until the cut-away sections are brought into the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, when the gears 221 and 229 will no longer mesh, and the arms 2 I 3 and 2 I1 will then have been brought to the starting positions. The shaft 223 and the The closing of the stop-feed circuit is effected as follows: The shaft 2 is driven from the counter 323, which makes a 25th of a revolution for each article counted. This serves to move the contact arm 2I3 from one contact member 2I5 to the next contact member 2I5 over the circle of 25 contacts. As the arm passes from the 24 contact member to the contact member 2I5, the contact arm 2I1 is moved through the above-described intermittent gearing 1/l4th of a revolution forn one contact member 2I9 to the next contact member 2I9. When each arm 2I3 or 2I1 is in engagement with the contact member H or 2I1 that is in circuit with the contact members 206 or 201 that have been closed by the address plate 205, the circuit through the stopfeed mechanism relay 22! is closed, causing actuation of the cam I05, and thus preventing the feed of further sheets 2 out of the hopper 339 by the conveyor 9. The arms 2I3 and 2I1 are then moved to their initial positions by a single rotation of the shaft 223. As the cut-away gears 221 are fixed t0 the shaft 223, they rotate from their ineffective positions to engage the cutaway gears 229, rotating with them, through the above-described friction clutches 235, the respective arms 2I3 or 2I1, assuming that these do not already happen to be in the starting positions. This also returns the intermittent gear 259 to its initial position, so that it will not turn the arm 2I1 until the 25th paper has been counted off.

In addition to the address and other desired insignia. from the plate 205, two scales (not shown) corresponding to the scales 409 and 4 on the plate 205, may be printed on the label, wrapper or tag that goes with the stack, along with the address and other data. Holes I95 in the plate 205 accommodate a projection 209 on the bottom of each lug 20I. These projections 209 extend through the address plate to a position below the bottom thereof. As these projections indicate, by their position on the plate 205, the number of papers counted, they are utilized to print or otherwise make marks on the label, wrapper or tag opposite the said scales (not shown) to indicate what quantity is contained in that group.

The plates are initially stacked in the magazine 216. A cut-out 500 in the plate slides over a vertical slide 50!. This insures that no plate will be placed in the magazine in the reversed position.

A fork 303, oscillating about a pivot 30I, engages an anti-friction lug 305 to operate a. slide 301 in ways 309. The slide 301 thus moves the lowermost plate 205 from under the magazine 216 to a definite position underneath the backing plate 3I3, at the same time, moving the previous plate 205 into the receptacle 215, over a spring 3I1. In this position of the plate 205 under the backing plate 3I3, the lugs 20I will be under the contact members indicated on the address plate. The plate remains in this position while the papers are being counted off and, at the same time, the name and address and other insignia are printed from the plate on to the wrapper label. Above the backing plate 3I3, a member 429 carries the wiring 3 through a cover plate 3I5.

Modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such are considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a counter, a normally ineffective electric system, a plurality of selectively actuable contact members, and means operable at the end of a predetermined count of the counter and cooperative with a selectively actuated contact member of the selectively actuable contact members to render the electric system effective.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising a counter, a normally ineffective electric system, a plurality of selectively actuable contact members, a plurality of contact members cooperative with a selectively actuated contact member of the selectively actuable contact members to render the electric system effective, and means controlled by the counter for controlling the second-named contact members.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising a units counter, a multiple counter, means controlled by the units counter for actuating the multiple counter at the end of a predetermined count of the units counter, an electric system, a plurality of selectively actuable contact members cooperative with the units counter,

a second plurality of selectively actuable contact members cooperative with the multiple counter, a plurality of contact members respectively cooperative with the selectively actuable contact members to render the electric system effective, and means controlled by the counters for successively controlling the third-named contact members.

4. A counter having, in combination, a ratchet having teeth, a member having an armature and two pawls for engaging the ratchet, a spring for actuating the armature in one direction to cause one of the pawls to engage the ratchet to eiTect movement of the ratchet, an electric circuit having a winding for actuating the armature in the opposite direction to cause the other pawl to engage the ratchet to efiect movement of the ratchet, a counting member, and means frictionally connecting the counting member to the ratchet member.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising a counter, means for actuating the counter, there being a loose connection between the counter and the actuating means, a cut-away gear connected with the counter, a cut-away gear meshing with the first-named cut-away gear, the cut-away gears normally occupying a position in which their cut-away portions are disposed opposite to each other when the counter occupies a predetermined position, and means for actuating the second cut-away gear to actuate the counter to the predetermined position.

6. Apparatus of the character described comprising a counting member, means for actuating the counting member, there being a loose connection between the counting member and the actuating means, a cut-away gear connected with the counting member, a cut-away gear meshing with the first-named cut-away gear, the cutaway gears normally occupying a position in which their cut-away portions are disposed opposite to each other when the counting member occupies a predetermined position, means for actuating the second cut-away gear to actuate the counting member to the predetermined position, a secondcounting member, means for actuating the second counting member from the firstnamed counting member, there being a loose connection between the counting members, a cut-away gear connected with the second counting member, a cut-away gear meshing with the third-named cut-away gear, the third-named and fourth-named cut-away gears normally occupying a position-in which their cut-away portions are disposed opposite to each other when the second counting member occupies a predetermined position, and means for actuating the fourth-named cut-away gear to actuate the second counting member to its predetermined position.

7. An electric system having, in combination, a movable counting arm, a contact member mov able therewith, a plurality of contact members adapted to be engaged by the counting-arm contact member, a plurality of pairs of contact members, one pair corresponding to each of the first-named plurality of contact members, a conductor connecting each contact member of the first-named plurality of contact members to one contact member of the corresponding pair of contact members of the other plurality of contact members, means connecting the other contact members of the pairs of contact members in series, means for selectively closing the pairs of contact members, a source of energy, and means connecting the source of energy to the seriesconnected contact members and to the countingarm contact member.

8. An electric system having, in combination, a movable counting arm, a contact member movable therewith, a plurality of contact members adapted to be engaged by the counting-arm contact member, a plurality of pairs of contact members, one pair corresponding to each of the first-named plurality of contactmembers, a conductor connecting each contact member of the first-named plurality of contact members to one contact member of the corresponding pair of contact members of the other plurality of contact members, means connecting the other contact members of the pairs of contact members in series, means for selectively closing the pairs of contact members, a second movable counting arm, a contact member movable therewith, a third plurality of contact members adapted to be engaged by the second counting-arm contact member, a second plurality of pairs of contact members, one pair corresponding to each of the third plurality of contact members, a conductor connecting each contact member of the third plurality of contact members to one contact member of the corresponding pair of contact members of the second plurality of contact members, means connecting the other contact mem bers of the pairs of contact members of the second plurality of pairs of contact members in series, means for selectively closing the pairs of contact members of the second plurality of pairs of contact members, an actuating coil, 2, source of energy, energy, the coil and the the circuit.

9. A device of the character described having, in combination, a ratchet having teeth, a member having an armature for two pawls for engaging contact members into the ratchet, a spring for actuating the armature in one direction to cause one of the pawls to engage the ratchet to eiTect movement of the ratchet, and an electric circuit having a winding for actuating the armature in the opposite direction to cause the other pawl to engage the ratchet to effect movement of the ratchet.

10. Apparatus of the character described comprising a counter, a normally inefl'ective electric v circuit, a plurality of selectively actuable contact members, a member for selectively actuating the and means connecting the source of selectively actuable contact members selectively, and means operable at the end of a predetermined count of the counter and cooperative with a selectively actuated contact member of the selectively actuable contact members to render the electric system eflective.

11. Apparatus of the character described comprising normally ineilective means for performing a desired operation, a counter, a plurality of selectively actuable contact members, and means operable at the end of a predetermined count of the counter and cooperative with a selectively actuated contact member of the selectively actuable contact members to render the normally ineflective means effective.

12. Apparatus of the character described comprising normally ineflective means for performing a desired operation, a counter, a plurality of selectively actuable contact members, a plurality of contact members cooperative with a selectively actuated contact member of the selectively actuable contact members to render the normally ineflectlve means effective, and means controlled by the counter for controlling the second-named contact members.

13. Apparatus o! the character described comprising normally ineiiective means. for performing a desired operation, a units element, a normally ineflective multiple element, means for actuating the units element, means controlled by the units element for rendering the multiple element eiiective at the end 01' a predetermined actuation of the units element, a plurality of selectively actuable contact members cooperative with the units element, a second plurality of selectively actuable contact members cooperative with the multiple element, and means operable at the end of a predetermined count of the counter and cooperative with the units and multiple elements and the contact members for rendering the normally ineiiective means efiective.

14. Apparatus oi the character described comprising normally inefiective means for performing a desired operation, a movable counting member, contact means movable therewith, a plurality of contact members ad ted to cooperate with the contact means durin the movement of the movable counting member, d" plurality of selectively actuable contact members, one connected to each of the first-named plurality of contact members, and means operable at the end of a predetermined movement or the counting member and cooperative with a selectively actuated contact member of the selectively actuable contact members to render the normally ineflective means eilfective. 

